Please help a newbie diagnose this problem

[rqdasilva 0]

I have installed 8 nuvico cams with infrared.

The system worked fine for 6 months but now 2 cams are displaying images distorted and it keeps on going off and on.

What should I do to diagnose this problem? Is power related, cable or camera related?

The client is real jerk and I don’t want him to blame me for the issue.

I can send the image if that helps.

Please help

thanks

 

Rob.

[Scruit 0]

Did you do all the regular stuff?

 

- Unplug one good camera and one bad camers from the back of the DVR and switch them over.

- Connect a small LCD monitor directly to the camera.

- Swap a bad camera with a good camera at the camera end

- Post a capture of the bad image. Is it possibly interferance from an AC wire running near the video signal? Did they add a new circuit / device?

[rqdasilva 0]

To be honest, I haven’t got the chance to do any tests yet.

This client is a big jerk and he keeps on threatening me.

Anyhow I will go there tomorrow and check.

I just wanted to have an idea to see what I should look for to give him a straight answer. I asked the distributer and he told me it could be a power issue.

Anything else I should be looking for?

Thank you very much.

 

Rob.

[rory 0]

Could be lights causing it to switch back and forth between color and BW mode. I have had that alot in the past, and it is also something that can start a while after the system has been there.

 

Example scenarios: newly installed lights, camera moved slightly, camera dirty causing enhanced reflection/glare, or lights being turned on that were not before, car lights, etc)

 

If it is turning on and off 24/7, then could be a bad power board on the camera. If the power supply itself was bad then other cameras would be bad also, and more than likely you wont see anything at night with the IR cameras (wont come on at all). If they had workmen there could also have damaged the cable.

 

Is it only turning off at night, or in the day also? Does it stay off and if not, how long does it take between switching on and off?

[rqdasilva 0]

Hi Rory thanks for the reply.

 

I goes on and off in the PCDVR screen all day long every second.

 

And when is on it displays distorted image like seeing thru a wet class.

Those are the only 2 doing that and the cameras are in different areas of the place. I just want to tell the guy what I think it could be Because I know that is the first thing he is going to ask me.

Thanks

 

Rob.

[rory 0]

Maybe water got inside it then, hard to tell without seeing a sample image though, but if it looks like water, then its more than likely water.

 

That said, you might just have to unplug the power and plug it back in again (if its not water related). Life is sometimes that easy

 

Either way, tell him you dont know without further investigation. Anything could have happened over the past 6 months. Without a voltage regulator for one, at least down here, camera boards can fry very easily from spikes and brownouts. Its not the rainy season but if its snowing in your area maybe water is the issue.

[RickA 0]

What kind of camera, dome, bullet? Inside or out? Have had some that the dip switch settings will give a water type image in low light.

[rqdasilva 0]

I will be going there today with more time and will be able to get more info.

I'll try some of the thingsd you guys sugested.

I'll posted later today.

Thanks

Rob.

[Secuology Inc 0]

I will be going there today with more time and will be able to get more info.

I'll try some of the thingsd you guys sugested.

I'll posted later today.

Thanks

Rob.

 

Let keep the finger cross, however, i doubt the problem is in LCD monitor. IMHO

[dubwiser 0]

I've had this problem. Usually a fresh connector will fix it if in fact you used coax. Since the picture is turning on and off, I would say it was a bad connector.

 

Keep in mind copper shrinks in the cold so you may be losing connection if the copper core was not pushed far enough into the connector on the initial install. This may or may not explain the distortion in the image. I've always had good luck with Nuvico cameras, but that may be just my luck.